Matt Harrison undergoes spinal fusion surgery, which could threaten his baseball career

7 Comments

Matt Harrison has been limited to six starts over the past two seasons because of lingering back issues, and now his career might be in jeopardy.

Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com reports that Harrison underwent lumbar disc fusion surgery on Tuesday in Dallas, Texas and “there’s a chance” he won’t recover to the point where he can throw from a mound on a regular basis. The 28-year-old lefty has already been placed on the disabled list and can at least be ruled out though the remainder of 2014.

Harrison signed a five-year, $55 million contract extension with Texas before the 2013 season.

He posted a 3.34 ERA (132 ERA+) in 399 innings between the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.

Anthony Rendon fan interaction video looked into by MLB

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
0 Comments

OAKLAND, Calif. – Major League Baseball is looking into a video circulating on social media that appears to show Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon grab a fan by the shirt through the bleacher guardrails after Thursday night’s game in Oakland, a league spokesperson said Friday.

Rendon looks to have grabbed the fan’s shirt near his chest through the bars of the railing and exchanged words with him before appearing to take a swipe at the bill of the man’s ballcap and walking into the tunnel.

Angels spokesman Adam Chodzko says the team has no comment. The Angels do not play Friday, but the club expects Rendon to address the video Saturday in the clubhouse before the game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland.

The video shows the fan, dressed in A’s colors, approach the railing as Rendon turns toward him from the tunnel walkway below. Rendon then appears to grab the man’s shirt and ask him what he just said, accusing the fan of calling him a derogatory term before swiping at his ballcap.

The A’s won the game 2-1.